


Date Night at the Flying Ferris Farm: A Slice of Life from The Barking Dog Winery

by pinkdiamonds



Series: The Barking Dog Winery [11]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Curtain Fic, F/M, Future Fic, Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-15
Updated: 2014-07-15
Packaged: 2018-02-09 00:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1961772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkdiamonds/pseuds/pinkdiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John and Rodney cope with Cassidy's first date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Date Night at the Flying Ferris Farm: A Slice of Life from The Barking Dog Winery

**Author's Note:**

> Cover art by Astroskylark.

### 

 

 

### July

John sliced the loaf of French bread and the rolls while Rodney put out the condiments, potato salad and fruit salad. Cassidy laid out the cold cuts and cheese on a platter, while Conner set the table and sorted out drinks. They moved with the ease of experience, and quietly, each intent on their own task.

Once everything was on the table, each of them built their own sandwiches, spooning out fruit and potato salad. The family began chatting about their day, the twins relating a story or two about the kids under their care as junior counselors at camp. Their parents laughed, proud of how responsible Conner and Cassidy were.

Dinner was nearly done when Conner dropped his bombshell. “So, Michael Coleman asked Cassidy out today.”

Cassidy glared at her brother. They had agreed he would tell their parents when dinner was done.

John and Rodney exchanged a look, John’s eyes clearly ordering his husband not to freak out. Clearing his throat, he asked Conner, “Is that the same Michael Coleman that you were crushing on…?”

Conner blushed. The twins had started college the previous August at age fifteen. Michael Coleman was also a freshman and Conner had been in one of his classes and had been immediately smitten with the older boy. When he’d asked him out, Michael had turned him down in the nicest possible way. Rejecting all labels and happily experimental, Conner had taken the rejection in stride and almost immediately asked out a pretty redheaded girl in one of his other classes. “The one and the same. He’s one of the senior counselors at the camp.”

“What did you tell him, sweetheart?” John asked his daughter.

“I said yes. And I haven’t warned him about the ritual embarrassment he’ll be subjected to before we leave,” she informed her dad. “I was afraid he’d back out.”

“He’ll survive it, Cas,” Conner interrupted. “I wouldn’t have asked him out otherwise.”

“If he can’t handle meeting your parents, he’s not worth your time, “ Rodney reminded her.

And of course, Rodney was right. Conner and Cassidy had been given strict dating rules as soon as they were old enough to date. Conner had brought home a number of girls and boys and they had all survived Rodney and John, but Cassidy had turned down every offer thus far. She preferred to stay at home or hang out with her friends.

“Where will you be going?” Rodney asked.

“To a movie, and then to the beach for a bonfire,” Cassidy replied.

Rodney frowned, and they all knew he was about to make his displeasure known to one and all. Conner jumped in before he could get out a single word. “I’ll be there too, dad. Roma and I going to double date with them.”

John laughed as Rodney deflated; his argument ended before it even began. “Roma?”

“Roma Richelli. You met her two weeks ago,” Conner answered dryly.

“The pretty brunette? I seem to remember her. Although it _is_ hard to keep up with you,” John retorted.

“Maybe you’re getting old, dad,” Conner said. Everyone, including Rodney laughed at John’s outraged expression.

~*~

Rodney fretted all week, while John attempted to calm him. John wasn’t doing much better; he was just better at hiding it. The thought of some boy putting his hands on his little girl was infuriating. So, he did what he always did during a crisis; he reached out to his family.

He spoke to Jack and Daniel, wondering for the first time how they’d coped. Daniel laughed and told him that the year the girls started dating was the year Jack starting turning grey. Dave told him that copious amounts of alcohol worked well for him. Kaleb giggled. When he could talk again, he advised John that while his daughter was out, sex had been a great distraction. Brad shook his head mournfully and told him to make sure his guns were locked away.

Leah, Jeannie, and Winsome made a point of calling both men up individually and laughing at them. Jeannie came over just to smack them in their heads. Winsome visited with the same goal the day after.

Rodney ran background checks and hacked the college’s computers to glean every bit of information about Michael Coleman that he could. He called every professor who’d had the kid as a student and interrogated them. John made a token effort to stop his husband, but his heart wasn’t in it, and he wanted to know about Michael just as much as his husband. Some of the information Rodney discovered was - - troublesome.

Cassidy had given her parents more than a week to get used to the idea that she was going out on a date. As Saturday night approached and their craziness ramped up, she admitted to herself that she’d seriously miscalculated. It would have been better to tell them the night before. Saturday was fast approaching and John grew quiet and thoughtful and Rodney… well Rodney ranted over everything, complaining about boys and their stupid hormones to whomever would listen.

~*~

On Saturday all the unexpected company that dropped in kept John and Rodney too busy to obsess. Jack, Daniel, Kaleb, Jeannie, Winsome, Brad, Autumn, Wynter, and Zakia all paid a visit to give Cassidy advice on what to wear and to keep her parents in check. Thankfully they all left before Michael was due.

The doorbell rang at precisely 6 PM. Conner and Roma sat on the couch in the living room determined to watch the floor show. John answered the door and stood aside to let in the tall young man standing there, his arms full of the biggest bouquet of flowers John had ever seen outside a florist shop. “Hi, Michael. I’m Dr. Sheppard and this is my husband, Dr. McKay,” John welcomed Cassidy’s date.

Rodney frowned when he saw Michael. He was a very good looking young man with a shock of dark hair very like John’s and turquoise blue eyes that were startling against his tanned skin. He was still a little gangly; it was apparent that he hadn’t yet fully grown into his bones. With his high cheekbones and pouty lips to go along with slim hips and broad shoulders, he looked like model.

Michael entered and looked around, expectation clear on his face. “Hi, Dr Sheppard. Dr. McKay. I’m Michael Coleman.”

Roma came to his rescue when she saw the storm clouds on Rodney’s face. She kissed him on the cheek, whispering, “Show no fear,” as she took the flowers from him.

Michael was holding a small paper shopping bag, which he now thrust in Rodney’s direction. “This needs to be put in the freezer.”

“What is it?” Rodney inquired, as the two men led Michael into the kitchen.

“It’s a quart of sugar snap pea ice cream.”

Rodney looked horrified. “You mean there are actual peas in the ice cream?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Whose bright idea was that?” Rodney scowled.

Looking embarrassed, Michael said, “Well, actually, it was my idea, Dr. McKay.”

“Why?” asked a clearly perplexed Rodney.

“I’m staying with Carl and Irene Adler over the summer and I help out at the farm stand on the weekends. I suggested they make ice cream with the fruit they grow. I made a few batches of peach, blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry. I - - I tried the sugar snap pea as an experiment,” Michael explained. “ It sold out last weekend and I thought you’d like it also.”

“Have a seat, Michael,” John invited. “Why are you staying with the Adler’s?”

“Because the dorms aren’t open to students over the summer.”

“Why not go home?” Rodney wanted to know.

“My parents kicked me out when I was fourteen. I’ve got a full ride scholarship, but it doesn’t cover room and board on breaks. The Adler’s don’t charge much rent, and Irene is an awesome cook,” Michael disclosed.

And this was the piece missing from Rodney’s background check. Michael must not have disclosed this information to anyone. He had never been in the foster system and his parents had never been involved with social services. The information that Rodney _had_ discovered that was so troublesome to him and John was that Michael’s parents belonged to an extreme evangelistic church.

“Why at such a young age, Michael?” John asked.

“I made the mistake of telling them that I wanted to go to a public high school because I wanted to study math in college. I also refused to go to church anymore,” Michael confessed. “I questioned everything they believed in and they thought I was a bad influence on my younger brothers and sisters. I was lucky enough that I had a friend that wasn’t involved in the church and his mom took me in. She went to my parents and worked out a deal with them. She never did tell me the details. I’ve been working since they kicked me out and I saved every penny I could.”

“Do your parents know where you are now,” John asked softly.

“No, sir. I called them when I got the scholarship, but they told me they didn’t want to hear from me unless I was prepared to rejoin the church.”

John and Rodney exchanged a look that spoke volumes. Whatever third degree they planned to put Michael through wouldn’t happen. “Cassidy has an 11:30 PM curfew, Michael. If you’re going to be one minute late, we expect a phone call and a good reason,” John instructed.

“I’ll have her back safe and sound, Dr. Sheppard.”

Just then Cassidy came into the kitchen. “Michael. I hope my dads haven’t been giving you a hard time,” she grinned. “They like to think they’re badass, but they’re both marshmallows. And thank you for the flowers, they’re lovely.”

“You’re welcome, Cassidy,” Michael murmured quietly, his eyes never leaving her face. “You look beautiful.”

“Thanks. You look pretty good yourself.”

Rodney cleared his throat loudly; he was certain that both kids had totally forgotten he and John were in the room.

Cassidy ripped her eyes from Michael’s face, blushing brightly. “We, ah, we should be going. See you later, dad,” she hugged Rodney goodbye. “Bye, daddy,” she hugged John.

~*~

John and Rodney stood by the door as the two couples got into Michael’s beat up car and drove away. When they could no longer see the car, they closed the door.

John gripped his husband’s hand. “What’d you think?”

“Do you remember what that asshole Stephens told us? That blood calls to blood? I think we just met our future son-in-law,” Rodney said.

“Yeah, that’s the feeling I got also,” John agreed.

“I hope they wait until after she’s got her first doctorate,” Rodney griped.

“Babe, that kid has it so bad for Cas, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” Deciding to distract Rodney, he blithely asked, “Hey, did I tell you what Kaleb did to get through Madison’s dating years?”

Rodney snorted, “What, read some obscure 7th century poetry?”

“Nope,” he answered, grabbing Rodney’s hand and leading him upstairs. “Sex, Rodney. Lots of hot, filthy sex. I thought we’d give it a try. And then we can eat some sugar snap pea ice cream.”

Rodney smiled for the first time in a week as he gladly followed John.

### Epilogue

The Adler’s were hard put keeping sugar snap pea ice cream in stock for the rest of the summer. Much to Carl and Irene’s amusement, the McKay Sheppard household couldn’t seem to stop eating it.

 

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Sugar snap pea ice cream really does exist. I had it recently and it was just about the best ice cream I've ever tasted. I had it in Southold, where The Barking Dog Winery 'verse is set. My daughter was disgusted that there were peas in ice cream, much like Rodney.
> 
> My daughter will be starting college this August so I've been doing a lot of reading about college life. I was shocked to find out that there are any number of students who, like Michael are homeless during college breaks. If you contribute to your alma mater, or have ties to any college or university, I urge you to find out how they handle homeless students. Please contribute if you can or urge your school to have housing in place for such students during breaks.


End file.
